Chapter 18

Earlier that morning, false dawn was bleeding just enough light into the room for Nilsen to see when he woke up. Momentarily confused by the bodies pressed up against him and the limbs seemingly intertwined in random fashion, he quickly remembered what it was all about. Damn, he smiled, I could really get used to this. Moving slowly he extricated himself without waking the four women and relieved his complaining bladder in the bathing room. Finished, he looked back to the bed with longing but duty ― and the fact that the empty space he had left was now filled ― caused him to sigh and grab a fresh set of clothes which he took back into the bathing room. Dressed, Nil decided he ought to find out if his father had returned and if he had then Nil needed to give the king a detailed account of what had happened. Momma Nesho had sent a runner with a summary of what occurred, but he knew his father would be anxious for details.

The only one noting his departure was Cerberus who opened his eyes but otherwise seemed disinclined to follow. That made Nil feel better, not that he believed there was any danger but having someone watch over the girls ― his girls ― while they slept, helped. Silently he slipped out of the room and commenced his search.

Finding his father was as easy as he expected. All he had to do was find one of the maids who told him where to go; as with most other households the servants knew everything that went on in the palace down to the last little bit of gossip. Luckily all the servants and most of the personal guards were salidin-bonded to or through one of the queens so that knowledge was as safe as if he kept it himself. As expected he found his father eating a light breakfast in the kitchen with his bodyguards as the morning kitchen staff scurried around preparing for the day.

"Nilsen!" King Dent jumped up to embrace his son.

"Father," Nil sighed, "it's really good to see you. When did you get in?" They broke apart and Dent motioned for Nilsen to have a seat beside him.

"About half an hour ago," Dent admitted. "I almost came back last night after I got your mother's message but I figured a couple hours of sleep and getting here early would serve just as well. It sounds like you have had an ... interesting ... time of it."

"If you consider catastrophes interesting," Nilsen grumped. He then proceeded to fill in all the details the short message by necessity had left out, even the part about him and his sisters. Dent silently listened only frowning occasionally and once or twice his eyes narrowed dangerously. Surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly considering his mothers' reaction, the king took the fact that Nil had bonded and bedded his sisters without comment.

"Hmm, Salas and Durhorn have much to answer for," he said when Nil had finished.

"That's what Momma Nesho said," Nilsen agreed. "But as much as I'd like to agree, I think Makro was correct: That is secondary to what the crystal readers could mean to us. I think the first thing we have to do is find out if we can get one, or at least the use of one."

"I agree. Salas and Durhorn will be dealt with in time," Dent said casually. Nil was damned glad he wasn't the one who was going to be "dealt with"; he'd seen the results of that and was fairly confident the Putram of Salas would at some time in the future be very sorry for his indiscretions. Counting that business as settled, Dent turned his attentions to other matters.

"So, where is this fascinating woman that will soon make me a grandfather?" he asked. "When do I get to meet her?"

"Soon, would be my guess," Nil replied. "She's still sleeping along with the others. It's been a difficult journey for her, both physically as well as emotionally. She has been terrified of what you and Mommas would think of her. Mommas did well to ease her fears last night, but I'm thinking she will still be anxious about meeting you. She is an amazing woman as I'm sure you will agree."

"Bah, everything will be fine," the king said with a wave of his hand. "I trust your judgment; if you have vetted her then I'm sure we will get along wonderfully.

"Speaking of that," Dent continued. "I have something for you. It was supposed to be your birthday gift when I commissioned it but it wasn't finished until after you left for Salas. I guess it can be your wedding gift now, although from what I hear maybe a bigger bed would be more appropriate," he said with a laugh.

"I don't know how you lived through it," Nil quipped, then remembering who he was talking to, he clamped his mouth closed and blushed a deep red. Dent just leaned back and laughed until Nil thought he was going to fall off the bench.

"What are you complaining about?" Dent howled. "You're still young! Wait till you get to be my age! Then you can complain, if you still have the breath for it." Standing up and smacking Nil on the shoulder he said, "Come on, I think it's in the small throne room. I want to give it to you before your mothers wake up and start telling us what we should be doing." Standing up Nil followed his still chuckling father out of the kitchen and down the hall to a large room with a dais bearing a chair. The "small" throne room was only small compared to the much larger formal audience room. Striding up and onto the dais Dent rummaged around behind the ornate chair.

"I'm sure it was here," he muttered. "Ah, here it is." He held up a bronze-edged leather scabbard wrapped with a belt, the hilt of a sword sticking out. "This is the finest steel I could find, with an edge guaranteed to cut through iron like shit through a goose. Look at this edge." Pulling the sword out he held it up to catch the rays of early morning light just beginning to stream through the high windows. As he did, one of the toggles on the scabbard's safety strap popped off and rolled down the dais steps to land at Nilsen's feet.

"Crap," Dent muttered with a frown.

"Don't worry, I'll get it," Nilsen mused as he knelt to retrieve the offending bauble.

Suddenly he heard someone scream "No!" and almost instantly he was tackled and buried under a ton of sobbing woman. At first he was trying to push out from under her ― he knew right away who it was ― to find out what was going on and then seconds later he was trying to get out so he could breathe! He then heard: "Do not kill him! It was not his fault, it was mine! Take me!"

Struggling to his feet he tried to get around Lavender but she furiously continued to push him around and behind her. He knew he was strong but to overcome her hysterical strength right then would do nothing but get her hurt so he did the best thing he could: he stood there passively.

"The babe is my fault," Lavender pleaded. "Please do not hurt him. Punish me!" Nil noted the bodyguards had their swords out but were looking just as confused as Dent, all those except the two faced off against a growling Cerberus who was crouched, teeth bared and appeared ready to charge.

"Please hear me out!" Lavender sobbed. "I beg of you, don't hurt him. It is all my fault!"

Dent looked down at Lavender as she stooped down, arms flung wide and back, preventing Nilsen from getting in front of her. Then he looked up at the sword in his hand, then down again at the terrified giantess protecting her man: Up again at the sword, down again at Lavender. Comprehension dawned on his face and he slowly lowered the sword.

"Very well," he said his face a study in neutrality. "I will listen." Suddenly the king burst out laughing to the amazement of his bodyguards, his son and one very, very confused Lavender. The king was known to have a very dry sense of humor ― some claimed it to be desert dry ― and was rarely seen laughing out loud, let alone laughing so hard he had to hold his middle and sit down unceremoniously on the throne.

"That's not funny, Father," Nilsen admonished, finally able to hold Lavender around the waist and gently move her to one side as he stepped around. She was too flabbergasted to try to stop him. Turning to Lavender he said, "Lav, honey, would you tell Cerberus to stand easy; we don't want anyone getting hurt."

"What? Huh?" she babbled.

Sighing Nilsen turned toward the dog and said calmly, "Cerberus, everything is fine. Stand easy, please." The huge animal looked over at him, grunted and sat back on his haunches, not exactly at ease but no longer ready to attack.

"Father," he said looking back at Dent, "you've scared her close to death." Wrapping his arm around Lavender's waist he looked up at her and soothed her, "Lavender, my love, everything is fine; it was all a misunderstanding."

"I'm sorry," Dent said, rubbing tears from his cheek. "I think I almost peed my pants." Standing up, he sheathed the sword and stepped down off the dais to stand before Lavender. "Warrior Lavender, I most heartily apologize! But what, pray tell, was I supposed to be so angry about that I was about to kill my own son?"

"The babe," she muttered. "You did not — with me ― I thought..."

"And this baby was all your fault?" he asked grinning.

"Y ... yes," she stuttered.

"Well, having helped with a great many children myself," he continued, "I can safely say you didn't do it alone." Then he looked up with a glint in his eye, "Unless you mean Nilsen isn't the father."

"Of course he is the father—," then her eyes rolled back into her head and Nilsen barely had time to catch her as she slumped towards the floor.

"Oh, my," Dent said looking down.

"Father," Nil muttered, grunting under Lavender's weight, "you're not helping any."

"Sorry, I just..."

Suddenly there was the sound of bare feet running in the hallway outside the room and in through the door burst Makro, Fobie and Deimie.

"What have you done to her?" Makro shouted accusingly, rushing over to the woman now cradled in Nilsen's arms.

"Is she all right?" the twins cried together.

"She'll be fine, daughters," Dent soothed. "Oh, by the way, do you realize you're naked?"

Three borrowed guard cloaks solved the modesty problem. Although the girls themselves didn't seem to be bothered, it did bother Nilsen, and Dent was more amused than anything else. Grunting, Nilsen stooped slightly and picked the unconscious Lavender up in his arms and proceeded to carry her back to their room. The fact that she fainted was somewhat worrying, but not significantly. He did ask if Jarrah could be sent for, or if she was still asleep, the healer on duty. Lavender was no light load; completely relaxed and given her height she had a tendency to flop around in his arms. Luckily the trip was short and soon she was lying on their bed groggily starting to move around. Before Lavender regained full consciousness Nesho and Shasta entered the room with Jarrah trailing right behind.

Queen that she was, Nesho was still considered the most experienced healer in the palace and proceeded to give Lavender a quick but thorough examination as Nil recounted the circumstances leading up to this situation.

"You will be fine, dear," she told Lavender as she patted the giantess' arm comfortingly. Almost immediately she had to push the embarrassed woman back down into the bed as Lavender tried to sit up. "You will be fine, but you do need to get some rest," she said firmly.

"I should be up," Lavender protested.

"No, you shouldn't be," Nesho corrected. "I'm sure you're a fine strong warrior and all that nonsense, but emotional stress can be just as hard on the body as physical stress; you need rest." Lavender started to protest and Nesho gave her a stern, mother-knows-best look and told her, "If I have to, I will tell your husband to order you to stay in bed. Do we need to do that?" Lavender glanced over at Nilsen but sighed and shook her head when he gave a helpless shrug.

"That's better," Nesho said with a satisfied smile. "I can understand how this has all been overwhelming for you, but I can assure you it will be better now; nobody here bites ... much."

"Thank you, My Lady," Lavender whispered.

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that," Nesho said with a slight pout. "You can call me Mother, or if that doesn't suit you, just Nesho will do as well."

"Thank you, Mother Nesho," Lavender smiled tentatively.

"Much better," Nesho again patted her arm.

"Now that this is settled," Shasta broke in, "I think I need to go have a few words with King Funnyman. Sometimes he can be such an idiot! Well, we'll just see what he has to say for himself." She leaned down and kissed a surprised Lavender on the forehead, harrumphed and marched out of the room.

"Someone is going to get his ears boxed, or maybe he'll just wish he was getting off that easy," Nesho mused, looking at the retreating back of the determined redhead. "Not that he doesn't deserve it," she added before turning back to Lavender. "Dent really is a gentle and kind soul, but sometimes he just doesn't realize how intimidating he really is, especially to someone who doesn't know him. I have to admit there is a great deal of good-natured teasing that goes on in this family, but you will get used to it, I'm sure. We really are very informal when we're alone